Salvation universal

BANCROFT
LIBRARY

o

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

SALVATION
UNIVERSAL

By
JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH

PUBLISHED BY THE GENEALOGICAL
SOCIETY OF UTAH

1920

SALVATION
UNIVERSAL

By
JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH

PUBLISHED BY THE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF UTAH
1920

THE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF UTAH.

Organized November 13, 1894.

Anthon H. Lund, President; Charles W. Penrose, Vice Presi-
dent; Joseph Fielding Smith, Secy, and Treas.; Joseph Christen-
son, Librarian; Lillian Cameron and Nephi Anderson, Assistant
Librarians.

DIRECTORS: Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose,
Joseph Christenson, Joseph Fielding Smith, Anthony W. Ivins,
Hyrum G. Smith.

Life Membership, $10, with two years in which to pay. An-
nual membership, $2 the first year, $1 yearly thereafter.

The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine.

Published by the Genealogical Society of Utah.

QUARTERLY, $1.50 PER ANNUM
Anthon H. Lund, Editor; Nephi Anderson, Associate Editor

Subscription price to life and paid-up annual members of the
Genealogical Society, $1.00 a year. Address all communications
to

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF UTAH
47 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.

$0 7

Salvation Universal .

BY ELDER JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH

The greatest of all the gifts of God unto his children, is the
gift of salvation/'

The greatest of all his works, to bring to pass the immor-
tality and eternal life of man, which constitutes his glory.6

For this grand and glorious purpose, worlds are cre-
ated by him and peopled with his children. He gives to
them his commandments, granting the power to choose
for themselves whether or not they will obey. Those who
obey him in all things he has promised great blessings,
they shall be added upon in his celestial kingdom for ever
and ever, and shall be crowned with the fullness of his
glory. But to those who reject laws, and become a law
unto themselves in unrighteousness, shall punishment be
meted out according to their evil deeds.

The plan of *alvation, or code of laws, which is
known as the gospel of Jesus Christ, was adopted in the
heavens, before the foundation of the world was laid. It
was appointed there that Adam our father should come to
this earth and stand at the head of the whole human
family. It was a part of this great plan, that he should
partake of the forbidden fruit and fall, thus bringing suf-
fering and death into the world, even for the ultimate
good of his children. By many he has been severely criti-
cized because of his fall, but Latter-day Saints, through
modern revelation, have learned that such was necessary
in order that man should have his agency and, through

"Doc. & Cov. 6:13.
&Book of Moses 1:39.

4 SALVATION UNIVERSAL

the varigus vicissitudes he has to pass, reccjve a knowl-
edge of both good and evil, without Which it would be
impossible for him to gain the exaltation prepared for
him,

It was also necessary because of Adam's transgres-
sion for the Only Begotten Son of the Father to come to
redeem the world from Adam's fall. This also was a part
of the plan chosen before the earth was made, for Jesus
is called the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of
the world. He came and redeemed us from the fall — even
all the inhabitants of the earth. Not only did he redeem
us from Adam's transgression, but he also redeemed us
from our own sins, on condition that we obey the laws
and ordinances of the gospel. d

"And now, behold," said the Prophet Lehi to his son
Jacob, "if Adam had not transgressed, he would not have
fallen; but he would have remained in the Garden of
Eden. And all things which were created must have re-
mained in the same state in which they were, after they
were created ; and they must have remained for ever, and
had no end. And they would have had no children ; where-
fore, they would have remained in a state of innocence,
having no joy, for they knew no misery ; doing no good,
for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been
done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam
fell that men might be ; and men are, that they might have
joy.

"And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of time, that
he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And be-
cause they are redeemed from the fall, they have become
free for ever, knowing good from evil ; to act for them-
selves, and not to be acted upon, save it be by the pun-
ishment of the law at the great and last day, according to
the commandments which God hath given.

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh ; and
all things are given them which are expedient unto man.
And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life,
through the great mediation of all men, or to choose cap-
tivity and death, according to the captivity and power of

<Rev. 13:8.

<*Heb. 5:9; Matt. 7:21; John 1:3-6.

SAt.A'AlION UNIVERSAL

the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable
like unto himself."' '

The primary and fundamental principles of this plan
of salvation are :

First : Faith in God the Father, in his Son Jesus
Christ and in the Holy Ghost. We must accept them as
the presiding authority in the heavens, who govern and
control all things, who are omnipotent, just and true.

Second : We must accept the infinite atonement of
Christ, believing that he is the Redeemer of the world,
both from Adam's transgression and from our individual
sins on condition of our repetance.

Third : We must repent of all our sins, giving our
hearts to God, with the full intent of serving him.

Fourth : We must be baptized in water for the re-
mission of our sins, by one. who is called of God and
clothed with divine authority to administer in the ordi-
nances of the gospel.

Fifth : We must have the hands of those holding au-
thority placed upon our heads, and through their minis-
trations receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, — the spirit
of Truth and Prophecy that guides us in all truth.

Sixth : We must be willing to serve the Lord with
all our heart, mind and strength, keeping his command-
ments even- unto the end.

Upon these laws, salvation is based, and the promised
blessings are unto all men. These conditions arc not se-
vere, nor grevious, and are within the power of the weak-
est of the weak, if they will only place their trust in their
Redeemer.

All who repent and obey these laws, will be redeemed
and saved from the sins of the world ; but they who refuse
and repent not, will have to suffer for their own sins. The
Lord says : "He created man, male and female, after his
own image and in his own likeness created he them, and
gave unto them commandments that they should love
and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he
should be the only being whom they should worship. But
by the transgression of these holy laws, man became sens-
ual and devilish, and became fallen man. WkeTfcfore the

•11 Nephi 2:22-27.

6 SALVATION UNIVERSAL

Almighty God gave his Only Begotten Son, as it is writ-
ten in those scriptures which have been given of him. He
suffered temptations, but gave no heed unto them ; he was
crucified, died and rose again the third day ; and ascended
into heaven, to sit down on the right hand of the Father,
to reign with almighty power according to the will of the
Father, that as many as would believe and be baptized in
his holy name, and endure in faith to the end, should be
saved : not only those who believed after he came in the
meridian of time, in the flesh, but all those from the be-
ginning, even as many as were before he came, who be-
lieved in the words of the holy prophets, who spake as

Moreover, he further says: "And surely every man
must repent :or suffer, for 1 God am endless : *
Therefore I command you to repent — repent, lest I smite
you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my
anger, and your sufferings be sore — how sore you know
not! For behold, I, .God, have suffered these things for
all, that they might not suffer if they would repent, but
if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I,
which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of
all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore,
and to suffer both in body and spirit : and would that I
might not drink the bitter cup and shrink — nevertheless,
glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my
preparations unto the children of men."*'

These principles were taught to Adam after he was
driven from the Garden of Eden, who repented and was
baptized in water for the remission of his sins, and re-
ceived the Holy Ghost. And Eve, when she heard the
gospel plan, rejoiced, saying: "Were it not for our trans-
gression, we never should have had seed, and never
should have known good and evil, and the joy of our
redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto
all the obedient. And Adam and Eve blessed the name
of God, and they made all things known. to their sons
and daughters."*

'Doc. &Cov. 20:18-23.

CQV. 19:4, 15-19.
of Moses 5:1M2.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 7

Thus the principles of the gospel were taught from
the beginning among the children of Adam. Some be-
lieved and accepted them, many others rejected them,
bringing down upon their heads the wrathi of God, for his
anger was kindled against them because of their rebellion.
In course of time, when the inhabitants of the earth were
sufficiently corrupt, he caused the floods to come upon
them, sweeping them off the earth. Noah, who was a
preacher of righteousness, continued to preach these sav-
ing principles. .The gospel was also taught to Abraham,
and has always been among men when they were pre-
pared to receive it.

Latter-day Saints have been severly criticised by
many professing Christians for believing it necessary to
comply with these first principles of the gospel. We are
told that such views make us narrow and illiberal, for we
reject and damn all who do not accept "Mormonism" and
the ministration of our elders, while they on the other
hand, give a broader interpretation of the scriptures, hold-
ing it but necessary to believe in Christ — to confess him
with the mouth and to believe in the heart that Christ
was raised from the dead.

Or, as it is expressed,

Nothing, either great or small,

Remains for me to do;
Nothing — Jesus paid it all,

All the debt I owe. . ,

Nevertheless, there is but one plan of salvation, and
one door into the sheepfold, "He that entereth not by the
door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way,
the same is a thief and a- robber."*

We have not made the way narrow nor the gate
strait, that few there be that find it! Nor was ours the
edict, "Not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter in-
to the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of
the father."'

The fact that certain laws must be observed, and
ordinances complied with, is not the ruling of the Latter-
day Saints, but the divine mandate of the Author of our
salvation, who has said he will judge all men according

'John 10:1.

'Matt. 7th chapter.

8 SALVATION UNIVERSAL

ti> their works and opportunities. We are merely comply-
ing with the teachings of the Master which we have re-
ceived, and which are requisite to salvation.

If belief alone were sufficient, then even the devils,
who fear and tremble, would be saved. They recognized
the Savior and declared on several occasions that he was
the Son of God/ And the devils in the days of the sons of
Sceva declared that they knew Jesus and Paul, yet they
were far from the road to salvation.'

Notwithstanding the apparently narrow construction
of the Latter-day Saints pertaining to the scriptures — and
we most emphatically declare that all men must obey
these laws if they would be saved, excepting those who
die without law, and therefore are not judged by law™ —
we are broader and more liberal in our teachings than the
believers in the faith-only theory of salvation, who would
save all who profess a belief in the name of the Redeemer,
but reject all others, consigning them to everlasting de-
struction without one ray of hope, simply because they
did not confess that Jesus \vas the Christ. This view con-
demns all who lived at a time or place that the knowledge
of the Redeemer of the world could not reach them. They
would reject this vast majority of the human family, men
women and children, to eternal damnation, without the
fault being their own !

With the Later-day Saints this is not so. While it is
true we teach that a man must comply with these prin-
ciples of the gospel in order to receive salvation and exal-
tation in the kingdom of heaven — -which is proved by
many passages of scripture — nevertheless, we hold out
the hope that all may be saved, excepting the sons of per-
dition—a class that wilfully rejects the atonement of the
Savior : for the Lord intends to save all the workmanship
of his hands, save these few who will not receive salva-
tion. Our doctrine consigns none others to perdition, but
holds forth the hope that all will eventually be saved in
the kingdom of God at some time and in some degree of
tf 1« >ry.

Little children are redeemed from the foundation of

5:2-9; Luke 4:33-34.
'Acts 19:15.
"Moroni 8:22.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL

the world through the atonement, "Wherefore, they can-
not sin," the Lord has said, "for power is not given unto
Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become
accountable before me ; for it is given unto them even as
I will, according to mine own pleasure, that great things
may be required at the hand of their fathers. And again,
I say unto you, that whoso having knowledge, have I
not commanded to repent?"'1

He that declares that little children are born in sin,
and therefore require baptism, denies the mercy of the
father and does .not understand" the nature and signifi-
cance of the atonement. The Savior said : "Suffer little
children and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such
is the kingdom of heaven." The Prophet Mormon sums
the whole matter up in the following words:

Little children cannot repent; wherefore it is awful wicked-
ness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are
all alire in him because of his mercy.

And he that saith, that little children need baptism, dcnicth
the mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the atonement of
him and the power of his redemption.

.Wo unto such, for they are in danger of death, hell, and
endless torment. I speak it boldly, God hath commanded me.
Listen unto them and give heed, or they stand against you at the
judgment seat of Christ.

For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and
also all they that are without the law. For the power of re-
demption cometh on all they that have no law; wherefore, he
that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation,
cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing.

But it is mockery before God. denying the mercies of Christ,
and the power of His Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead
works.

Behold, my son, this thing ought not to be; for repentance
is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse
of a broken law.

And the first fruits of repentance is baptism, and baptism
cometh by faith, unto the fulfilling of the commandments; and
the fulfilling of commandments bringeth remission of sins.0 .

The question naturally arises, if all must accept the
principles of the gospel and be baptized for the remission
of their sins, what of the dead who died without receiving
the remission of their sins, or accepting Christ while they
were in the flesh? They cannot be baptized in water now

"Doc. & Cov. 29:46-49.
°Moroni 8:19-25

10 SALVATION UNIVERSAL.

.and have hands laid on their heads for the gift of the Holy
Ghost, for these thing's of necessity pertain to this mortal
probation. Therefore, it would be impossible for them to
be baptized now or even after the resurrection, for they
would no longer be mortal, but subject to the laws and
regulations of that life which is to come. These ordi-
nances must be performed in this life, or, 'if for the dead,
vicariously by some one who is in mortality, the living
acting as proxy for the dead. Again we hear the objection
raised, that this is impossible ; that one man cannot stand,
or answer for another's sins; but that every man must
stand for himself. This is true so far as it is possible to
be done. But occasions have arisen where the man guilty
of transgressing the law was unable to redeem himself.
And punishment for sin, is for the propitiation of sin, and
in such cases there is nothing in the scriptures forbidding
one to stand vicariously for another when circumstances
render it. impossible for the first to comply with the law.
In ancient Israel they had the scapegoat. On the head of
this goat, Aaron placed both his hands and confessed over
him all the iniquity of the children of Israel, and all -their
transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the
head of the goat, and then sent him away "by the hand of
a fit man into the wilderness." And the goat bore upon
him all their iniquities into the wilderness /'unto a land
not inhabited :"p This was but one instance. In various
ways of vicarious offerings Irave been made and accepted.
Then why should it be considered a strange thing for the
Later-day Saints to believe that the children have the
privilege to stand vicariously for their dead fathers, and
by proxy perform these ordinances, that belong to this
life, in their behalf?

The fact is, the whole plan of redemption is based on
vicarious salvation, One without sin standing for the
whole human family, all of whom were under the curse.
It is most natural and " just that he who commits the
wrong should pay the penalty — atone for his wrong do-
ing. Therefore, when Adam was the transgressor of the
law, justice demanded that he, and none .else, should
answer for the sin and pay the penalty with his life. But
Adam, in breaking and law, himself became subject to

pLeviticus 16:20-22. Sec also Leviticus chapters 4 and 5.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 11

the curse, and being under the curse could not atone, or
undo what he had done. Neither could his children, for
they also were under the curse, and it required one who
was not subject to the curse to atone for that original sin.
Moreover, since we were all under the curse, we were also
powerless to atone for our individual sins. It therefore
t)came necessary for the Father to send his Only Begot-
ten Son, who was free from sin, to atone for our sins as
well as for Adam's transgression, which justice demanded
should be done. He accordingly offered himself a sacri-
fice for sins, and through his <leath upon the cross took
upon himself both Adam's transgression and our individ-
ual sins, thereby redeeming us from the fall, and from our
sins, on condition of repentance.

Let us illustrate : A man walking along the road hap-
pens to fall into a pit so deep and dark that he cannot
climb to the surface and regain his freedom. How can he
save himself from his predicament? Not by any exertions
on his own part, for there is no means of escape in the pit.
He calls for help and some kindly disposed soul, hearing
his cries for relief, hastens to his assistance and by lower-
ing a ladder, gives to him the means by which he may
climb again to the surface of the earth. This was precisely
the condition that Adam placed himself and his posterity
in, when he partook of the forbidden fruit. All being to-
gether in the pit, none could gain the surface and relieve
the others. The pit was banishment from the presence of
the Lord and temporal death, the dissolution of the body.
And all being subject to death, none could provide the
means of escape. Therefore, in his infinite mercy, the
Father heard the cries of his children and sent his Only
Begotten Son, who was not subject to death nor to sin, to
provide the means of escape. This he did through his in-
finite atonement and the everlasting gospel. The Savior
voluntarily laid down his life and took it up again to satis-
fy the demands of justice, which required this infinite
atonement. His Father accepted this offering in the stead
of the blood of all those who were under the curse, and
consequently helpless. The Savior said, "I lay down my
life for the sheep. * * * Therefore, doth my Father
love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it

12 SALVATION UNIVERSAL

up again. iNo.mau taketh it from m«, but 1 l#y it dewn ®f
myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power
to take it again. This commandment have I received of
my Father.'"'

From this we see that he had life in himself, which he
received from the Father, being his Only Begotten Son
in the flesh. And it was this principle that gave him
power to atone for the sins of the world, both for Adam's
transgression and for our individual sins, from which we
could not of ourselves get free. Therefore, Christ died in
our stead, because to punish us would not relieve the situ-
ation, for we would still be subject to the curse even if
our blood had been shed, and through his death we re-
ceive life and "have it more abundantly."

The vicarious atonement was for all, both living and
dead, for as extensive as was the fall, of necessity must be
the atonement. There shall, therefore, be a resurrection
of the dead, both of the just and the unjust/ This is gen-
eral salvation. Our individual salvation, which determ-
ines our standing, or glory, in the kingdom of God, besides
depending on the atonement of Christ, also is on condition
that the laws and ordinances of the gospel are accepted
and lived by us, both by the living and the dead.

This vicarious salvation for the dead is not a new
doctrine. It is new and strange for this generation, it is
true, but only because of a lack of comprehension of the
revelations of the Lord. The Prophet Joseph Smith said
it is the burden of the scriptures. It has been taught
among the Lord's people from the earliest times. Enoch
saw in vision the kingdoms of the world and all their
inhabitants down even to the end of time. The Lord told
him of Noah and the flood, and how he would destroy the
people of the earth for their iniquity. Of these rebellious
one who rejected the truth and paid no heed to the
preachings of Noah and the ancient prophets, the Lord
said: "I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the
creations which I have made ; and mine eyes can pierce
them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands

T|ohn 10:15-18
24:15.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 13

there has not been so much wickedness as among thy
brethren. But, behold, their sins shall be upon the heads
of their fathers. Satan shall be their father, and misery
shall be their doom ; and the whole heavens shall weep
over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands;
wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these
shall suffer? But behold, these which thine eyes are upon
shall perish in the floods ; and, behold, I will shut them
up ; a prison have I prepared for them. And That which I
have chosen hath plead before my face. Wherefore, he
suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in
the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until
that day they shall be in torment."*

From this we learn that the Lord has prepared a
prison for the souls of all those who rejected the testi-
mony of the antediluvian prophets, where they were to re-
main in torment until the time when Jesus should atone
for their sins. and return to the Father. Isaiah also says:
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall
punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the
kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be
gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit,
and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days
shall they be visited/ This is spoken of those who keep
not the law who live in latter-days. Again, he says:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord
hath anointed me. to preach good tidings unto the meek,
he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to pro-
claim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison
to them that are 'bound."" This was spoken of as the
mission of the Redeemer, both his work for the living
and the dead who were prisoners that were bound. When
the Savior commenced his ministry, he entered into the
synagogue in the city of Nazareth — his home town — on
the Sabbath day, the. book of Isaiah was handed him, he
turned to this passage and read, closed the book, handed
it back to the minister, and while the eyes of all the con-

•Book *f Moses 7:36-39.
'I«gUh 24:31, 22.

"Isaiah 61:1 and 42:7.

14 SALVATION UNIVERSAL

gregatiou were riveted upon him, he said: "This day is
this scripture fulfilled in your ears.'"' But the Jews re-
jected him and his testimony, and with violence drove
him from the city. Nevertheless, he continued to proclaim
liberty- to the captives, declaring that he came not alone to
save the living but also to save the dead,

\Ye hear the objection made from time to time, that
Jesus did not come to save the dead, for he most emphat-
ically declared himself that there was an impassable gulf
that separated the righteous spirits from the wicked. In
defense of their position they quote the words in Luke,
16th chapter and 26th verse, which are : 'And besides all
this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so
that they which would pass from hence to you cannot:
neither can they pass to us that would come from thence."
These words, according to. the story, were spoken by
Abraham's spirit to the rich man who raised his eyes and
asked that Lazarus might go touch his lips and relieve his
torment. Abraham replied that it could not be for there
was a gulf fixed 'between them that the spirit of no man
could pass. Therefore, say the objectors to the doctrine
of universal salvation, "it is quite evident that the right-
eous and the wicked who are dead, cannot visit each
other, hence there is no salvation for the dead."

This was true before the days that Jesus atoned for
sin, which is plainly shown in the passage from the Book
of Moses previously quoted. And it was at this period
this event occurred. However, Christ came, and through
his death bridged that gulf, proclaimed liberty to the cap-
tives, and the opening of this prison door to those who
sat in darkness and captivity. From that time forth this
gulf is bridged so that the captives, after they have paid
the full penalty of their misdeeds, satisfied justice, and
have accepted the gospel of Christ, having the ordinances
atended to in their behalf by their living relatives or
friends, receive the pasport that entitles them to cross the
gulf.

The Lord speaks of this himself in the fifth chapter of

"Luke 4:16-21.

SALVATION 1TNIVKKSAL l.S

John, beginning with the twenty-fourth verse: "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and be-
lieveth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming
and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son
of God ; and they that hear shall live."

And the Jews marveled. Perhaps they thought he
meant those who were "dead in trespasses and sins"
should hear his voice. At any rate they marveled. He
perceived it and said :

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all
that are in their graves shall hear His voice, and shall come
forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damna-
tion.

Peter tells us that Christ did this very thing:

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might brings us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the spirit:

By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in
prison:

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-
suffering of 'God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark. was
a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved.™

Why did he preach to these disobedient spirits?
Surely not to increase their torments, to taunt them for
not accepting' of his truth in the days of the prophets!
Was it to tantalize them, and make them more miserable
because of the blessings they had lost! Jesus was a mer-
ciful Redeemer, who suffered as no other man suffered
that he might save the children of his Father. He would
take no pleasure in the suffering of the wicked. It was his
nature to plead for them, to entreat his Fatther for mercy
in their behalf. Therefore, 'whatever his mission was, it
was one of mercy ancf comfort to those prisoners.. Peter
tells us that .the object of. his visit was that the gospel
might be preached also to the dead, "that they might be

«>T Peter 3:18-20.
'xl Peter 4:6.

lo SALVATION UNIVERSAL

jucfged according to men in the flesh, but live according
to God in the spirit. "J

What good reason can be given why the Lord should
not forgive sins in the world to come? Why should man
suffer throughout the countless ages of eternity for his
sins committed here, if those sins are not unto death?
There are many good, honorable men who have wilfully
wronged no man, have lived to the best of their opportun-
ities, righteously; yet have not received the gospel, for
one reason or another. Where would be the justice in
condemning them forever in hell, ''where the worm dieth
not and the fire is not quenched?" We learn from the
Doctrine and Covenants, that eternal punishment, or ever-
lasting punishment, does not mean that a man condemned
will endure this punishment forever, but it is everlasting
and eternal, because it is God's punishment, and he is
Everlasting and Eternal. Therefore, when a man pays the
penalty of his misdeeds and humbly repents, receiving the
gospel, he comes out of the prison-house and is assigned
to some degree of glory in the kingdom of God, according
to his worth and merit.

There are three degrees of glory in this kingdom, the
celestial, into which those who keep the whole law shall
enter; the terrestrial, in which are found the honorable
men of the world, and those who were blinded by the
craftiness of men, and were overcome by the things of
the world, and also those who have accepted Christ but
were not valiant in his cause, and -those who died without
law among the heathen : the third, or telestial, is that
glory which contains the great majority of mankind who
differ in their glory as the countless stars of heaven.
These are" the inhabitants of the earth who have been
unworthy, unclean, unfit for an exaltation in the other
kingdoms. And still there will be some who, because of
their filthiness and abominations in, the flesh, will be un-
worthy of a kingdom of glory at all. The sons of perdi-
tion, those who are lost, having rejected the atonement of
Christ and crucified him afresh to themselves, these will
be cast out of the kingdom into outer darkness. All the

x I Peter 4:6.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 17

rest shall be saved in some degree of glory in one of the
three grand divisions of the kingdom of God. A full dis-
cussion of this is found in Doctrine and Covenants, sec-
tion 76.

That sins are forgiven in the world to come, we need
only refer to the words of the Savior:

All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the
Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in
this world, neither in the world to come.*

This shows that some sins will be forgiven in the
world to come. We are also informed in First Corin-
thians, fifteenth chapter, that "if in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." But
we have hope in Christ both in this life and in the life to
come. Salvation does not come all at once; we are com-
manded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is per-
fect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end, for there
will be greater progress beyond the grave, and it will be
there that the faithful will overcome all things, and re-
ceive all things, even the fullness of the Father's glory.*

Salvation for the dead was understood in the days of
the primitive Christian Church, and to some extent bap-
tisms for the dead continued to be performed until A. D.
379, when the Council of Carthage forbade any longer the
administration of this ordinance and "holy communion"
for the dead. Paul uses baptism for the dead as an argu-
men^against the Corinthian Saints, who, even in that day,
were falling away from the true gospel. These. saints
understod the doctrine of baptism for the dead, yet they
doubted the general resurrection. Paul argues with them
thus :

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how
say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ net
risen. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain,
and your faith is also rain. Yea, and we are found falie wit-
nesses of God; because we have testified of God that he railed
up Chritt: whom he raised not up, if §o be that the dead rite not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ

*Matt. 12:32.
•Doc. & Cov. 84:38.

18 SALVATION UNIVERSAL

be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then
they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in
this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become
the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death
by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam
all die; even so in Christ shall all be made alive. * * * *
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the
dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
and why stand we in jeopardy every hour?a

Joseph Smith, the prophet, informs us that salvation
for the dead was introduced in the days of Christ who had
reference to this subject when, in addressing the Jews, he
said :

That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon
the earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel unto the blood
of Zacharias, son of Barachia's, who ye slew between the temple
and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come
upon this generation.6

Commenting on this, the prophet said the reason that
generation would have to answer for the blood of the
righteous from Abel to Zacharias, was that in their day
the privilege of performing the ordinances in behalf of
the dead, was within their power, while it had been
denied anciently.

Hence, as they possessed greater privileges than any other
generation, not only pertaining to themselves, but to their dead,
their sin was greater, as they not only neglected their own sal-
vation, but that of their progenitors, and hence their blood was
required at their hands/'

In this same article the prophet declared that Obe-
diah was speaking of salvation for the dead when he said,
"And saviors shall come upon Mount Zion, to judge the
Mount'Of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's/*

The work of saving the dead has practically been re-
served for the dispensation of the fullness of times, when
the Lord shall restore all things. It is, therefore, the duty
of the Latter-day Saints to see that it is accomplished. We
cannot do it all at once, but will have the thousand years
of the Millennium to do it in. In that time the work must
be done in behalf of the dead of the previous six thousand

«I Cor. 15:20-30.
-*Matt. 23:35-36.
cTimes and Seasons 3:761.
"Obediah 21.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 19

years for all who need it. Temples will be built for this
purpose, and the labor in them will occupy most of the
time of the Saints.

One of the most important prophecies, pertaining to
the dead, is that of Malachi. He prophesied that the Lord
would send Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the
great and dreadful day. of the Lord, for the purpose of
turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
hearts of the children to the fathers, lest the earth be smit-
ten with a curse, when the Lord should come. This pro-
phecy, which is not understood by the world, has come to
pass. When the Angel Moroni appeared to the Prophet
Joseph -Smith, September 21, 1823, among the passages of
scripture he quoted that were about to be fulfilled, was
this prophecy of Malachi's ; but he quoted it with this
variation: "Behold, I will reveal unto you the priesthood
by the hand of Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of
the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he shall plant
in the hearts of the children the promise made to the
fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their
fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be ut-
terly wasted at his coming."0'

From this, we see that Elijah's mission was to restore
that priesthood which would turn the hearts of the child-
ren to their fathers, according to a promise that had been
made to the fathers. That it was extremely important
and necessary, is^ shown in the fact that the whole earth
would be utterly 'wasted at the coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord, if this priesthood were not
restored. This quotation deeply impressed the prophet at
that time, although he could not understand it. Three
times that night it was repeated, and again on the follow-
ing day. Gradually, as link after link of the gospel chain
was revealed, and the keys and powers were bestowed,
the prophet increased in wisdom and knowledge. In time,
a temple was built in Kirtland, but in it there was no
baptismal font, or any other provision made for ordinance
work for the dead. The reason is that the doctrine had
not ben fully revealed. This temple, however, served the
purpose for which it was erected, a house of the Lord,

^History of the Church, Vol. 1:12.

21) SALVATION UNIVERSAL

where he c^uld come, ami send his angels to bestow keys
and authority necessary in this dispensation. In this
temple, April 3, 1836, the Savior and many of the ancient
prophets appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery
and bestowed upon their heads the keys of the several
dispensations. Among these heavenly visitors came
Elijah, who placed his hands on the heads of Joseph
Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and gave them the priesthood
spoken of by Malachi. "Therefore," said he, "the keys of
this dispensation are committed into your hands, and by
this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the
Lord is near, even at the doors/

What was the promise made to the fathers that was
to be fulfilled in the latter-days by the turning of the
hearts of the children to their fathers? It was the promise
of the Lord made through Enoch, Isaiah, and the pro-
phets, to the nations of the earth, that the time should
come when the dead should be redeemed. And the turn-
ing of the hearts of the children is fulfilled in the per-
forming of the vicarious temple work and in the prejpara-
tion of their genealogies. Up to the time of Elijah's
visit, there had been nothing done for the dead. The doc-
trine was not understood by the Saints, and there was no
temple built where the ordinances could be performed.
But as soon as this priesthood was restored, the hearts of
the children commenced turning toward their fathers.

The knowledge of temple building and temple work
was made known to the prophet from time to time subse-
quently to the 3rd of April, 1836, and he commenced to
reveal these things to the Saints. . In Nauvoo they were
commanded to build a temple to the Lord, for only in
temples can these ordinances be performed, excepting in
times of extreme poverty, when they cannot build temples
for that purpose. "For this ordinance belongeth to my
house," says the Lord, "and cannot be acceptable to me
(i. e., outside of the house) only in the days of your pov-
erty, wherein yt are not able to build * house unto me.""
As the Latter-day Saints were in thii poverty-stricken
condition when they settled at Nauvoo, the Lord granted

'poc. It Cov. U0:l$.
*Doc. fc C*v. 124:30.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 21

t*hem the privilege of baptising for the dead in tlje Missis-
sippi river, until a place could be prepared for the ordi-
nace in the temple. Just as soon as a font could be pre-
pared in the temple, the L«rd, by revelation, discontinued
t}aptisms for the dead in any other place. It was Octobei
3, 1841, when this revelation was given, and on the 8th of
the folowing month, the font in the temple at Nauvoo was
dedicated, and from that day, until the Saints were driven
from Illinois, that ordinance continued to be performed
by them in that house in behalf of their dead.* After
arriving in Salt Lake valley, the first commandment

*Some of those who would destroy the work of God, have
declared that the Church was rejected, with its dead, because the
tempi* at Nauvoo was not finished; and, say they, the Lord, in
this revelation, declared that he would give the Saints sufficient
time to build a house (temple) unto him, and if they failed to
build it in the sufficient time, they would be rejected with their
dead. The fact is, that the Nauvoo Temple was built, and many
of the Saints received their endowments in it, and labored for
their dead before they were finally driven from Nauvoo by their
enemies. But the meaning of this revelation is perverted; the
Lord did not say he would reject the Church, with its dead, if
they failed to build the temple, but that they would be rejected
if they did not perform the ordinances for their dead in the
temple when it was prepared for that purpose. Here is the com-
mandment in question (sec. 124:31-35):

"But I command you, all ye my Saints, to build a house unto
me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto
me, and during this time your baptisms [i. e. oulside of a temple]
shall be acceptable unto me.

"But, behold, at the end of this appointment [i. e. the suffi-
cient time] your baptisms for your dead shall not be acceptable
unto me [i. e. outside of a temple] and if ye do not these things
[i. e. temple ordinances] at the end of the appoinment, ye shall
be rejected as a Church, with your dead, saith the Lord your
God.

"For verily I say unto you, that after you have had sufficient
time to build a house to me, wherein the ordinances of baptizing
for the dead belongeth, and for which the same was instituted
from before the foundation of the world, your baptisms for your
dead [i. e. in any other place than in a temple] cannot be accept-
able unto me, for therein are the keys of the holy priesthood or-
dained that you may receive honor and glory.

"And after this time [when a house is prepared] your bap-
tism for the dead, by those who art scattfed abroad, are not
acceptable unto rn<e, saith fhe Lard." fBWId lac-i? Stid brackets af«
mine." J. F. S j

24. SALVATION UNIVERSAL

•President Young received from the Lord was to com-
mence to build a temple where this work could be con-
tinued. The members of , , the Church responded, and
temples have been built, where the living now go to offi-
ciate for the dead.

The restoration of Elijah's priesthood accomplished
more than the turning of the hearts of the members of the
Church to their fathers, -for the spirit of his mission spread
forth and took hold of the hearts of the honorable men
and women in the world who have been directed, they
know not why/ to spend their time and means in prepar-
ing genealogies, vital records and various other genealog-
ical data, which they are publishing at great labor and
expense.

It is a curious' and interesting fact that the year fol-
lowing the coming of Elijah, the British government
passed laws requiring the proper recording' of records,
and the filing of them in one central place. In the year
1844, the New England Historical and Genealogical So-
cieyt was organized in Boston; in 1869 the New York
Genealogical and Biographical Society was incorporated
in New York. Other societies have been organized from
time to time in America, principally in the New England
States, and they are publishing .quarterly genealogical

And if ye do not these things at the end of the appointment,

obviously does not mean "if ye do not build a temple at the end
of the appointment," as our critics infer it does, but it refers to
the ordinances that were to be performed in the temple, and the
failure on the part of the Saints to perform these ordinances for
their dead was the thing that would cause their rejection with
their dead, and not the failure to build the temple, which was
merely the edifice in which the saving principles were to be per-
formed. This is in harmony with the teachings of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, who said that if we neglect the salvation of our
dead "we do it at the periol of our own salvation! Why? Because
we without them cannot be made perfect." (Doc. & Cov. sec.
28:15.)

The virtue of salvation for the dead is not in the structure of
the temple, but in the ordinances which are performed in the
temple. The temple is to the -ordinances just what the vessel is
to the life-giving nourishment it contains. Those who would re-
ject us on a technicality, because, as they say, " .we did not finish
the temple," neither build temples nor perform the ordinances
for the dead, wherein they prove their rejection by the Lord,, ac-
cording to the revelations of Joseph Smith, the prophet.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL . 23

magazines and registers, family records, etc. ; and are con-
tinually disseminating information regarding our ances-
tors, that is useful to the Latter-day Saints. The New
England Society is publishing, as they express it in their
magazine, "by a fund set apart from the bequest of Robert
Henry Eddy," to the society, the vital records (births,
marriages and deaths) of towns in Massachusetts, whose
records are not already printed from the beginning to the
year 1850. This is a tremendous work, many volumes of
these records have been published, and others are in
course of preparation.1 Eventually they wall be printed
by this and other similar societies in Massachusetts, a
state that has set the pace for her sister states to follow.
There, and in other parts, these societies are protected
and encouraged by legislative enactment. Besides these
numerous societies engaged in this noble work, there are
multitudes of individual laborers who are publishing at
their own expense family genealogies and vital records
that extend back for hundreds of years.

In Great Britain the work is carried on by the Har-

*Other societies in Massachusetts are also preparing vital
records, among them are the Topsfield Historical Society, the
Essex Antiquarian Society, the "Systematic History Fund,"
Franklin P. Rice, trustee. Of this work Mr. Rice, who is a pio-
neer in genealogical research, says:

"I hope sometime to give in detail an account of the various
undertakings in the line of record preservation with which I have
been connected since I began, in the early seventies, with the
idea, crude and imperfect, of subjecting to classification, for easy
reference, manuscript materials in public depositories, many of
which were then hidden or unknown, and in many places prac-
tically inaccesible. * * * * Thirty-five years ago the inter-
est in such matters was mainly antiquarian, and the few exam-
ples in print in this line had been inspired from that standpoint.
Genealogical research was not the powerful factor it is today.
As the idea expanded and developed, I came to regard the work
chiefly in its practical and scientific aspects, and I applied the
term "Systematic History" as the best explaining its purpose, to
meet the necessities of al enquirers and investigators. * * *
I formulated a plan sometime before 1890 to require the towns
in Massachusetts to print their records, but this met with little
"favor. Its substantial features are embodied in the Act of 1902.
* * * - Pursuing the work since 1898 under the operation of the
Systematic History Fund, I have been able to secure copies and
to print the vital records of more than thirty towns in central
Massachusetts."

24 SALVATION UNIVERSAL

Idan Society, the Genealogist Society, Phillimore & Com-
pany, the Lancashire Parish Register Society, the York-
shire Parish Register Society, and similar societies in
nearly all of the counties of Great Britain. These societies
publish the parish registers of the several parishes in Eng-
land, and to an extent in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
There is also in Great Britain Lodge's, Debrett's and
Burkes' Peeages and Visitations which are invaluable to
the searcher of genealogical information in those lands.
These numerous societies and individuals in the world,
upon whom the spirit of Elijah has fallen to this extent at
least, are compiling, printing and distributing these re-
cords of the dead, faster than the Saints can, with their
present facilities and understanding of the work, obtain
them. In fact, they have far outstripped us in the race,
and while we sometimes are given to boasting of the
great work we are doing for the dead, it is as nothing, a
mere drop in the bucket. These people and societies are
helping us, should we not take every advantage of their
labors and stand in the forefront, magnifying our calling
and proving our birthright as the children of Ephraim?

Thus the hearts of the children are gradually, but
surely turning towards their fathers. The spirit of this
work is now taking hold of the hearts of the people of
Germany, Scandinavia and the continent of Europe. And
why are they doing this? Because their hearts have been
drawn out to their fathers, through the restoration of the
keys of salvation for the dead, and they are energetically
and faithfully laboring, but all the while unconscious of
the full significance and worth of their labors, simply be-
cause the work appeals to them and they are fascinated
by it. Surely they shall receive their reward.

While many honorable men and women in the world
are accomplishing a great work in searching out and com-
piling genealogical data, their labors serve only as the
means to the end. The greatest work, after all, devolves
on the members of the Church wlio have the priesthood,
power and privilege, to go into the temples, taking the
names from these compiled records and from all other
authentic sources and performing the ordinances in be-
half of their dead. We live in the greatest dispensation
«f the \vnrld'$ history, that of fhe ful'lfie's* r»f rimes, .when

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 25

all things are to be gathered and restored to their proper
order, ushering in the millennial reign of the Redeemer
and the righteous. Do we Latter-day Saints fully realize
the importance of the mighty responsibility placed upon
us in relation to the salvation of the world? We are doing
a great deal in the attempt to convert and save a perverse
and wicked generation ; we are sending hundreds of mis-
sionaries into all parts of the earth, and are spending
hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in this very
necessary labor, with results that are not so very start-
ling. We are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars
in the building of meetinghouses, church schools and
other buildings, and in the education of the youth of
Israel, in developing and improving our lands, building
cities and increasing our communities, publishing periodi-
cals and magazines, and in every way diligently striving
to improve our own people, and disseminate knowledge
that wil convert the world to the gospel; but what are we
doing for the salvation of our dead? Many there are, it
is true, who comprehend this greater work, and are faith-
fully discharging their duties in the temples of the Lord,
but of others this cannot be said. The temple in Salt
Lake City has for many months been so crowded with
anxious, earnest workers, that it has been necessary many
times to turn large numbers away because there was not
suficient room. This is a good sign, showing the willing-
ness and activity of the Saints. But this condition does
not relieve from responsibility the inactive, dilatory mem-
bers, who are doing nothing for their dead. These per-
sons cannot expect to receive credit for what others may
be doing. The responsibility rests with equal force on all
according to our individual ability and opportunities. It
matters not what else we have been called to do, or what
position we may occupy, or how faithfully in other ways
we have labored in the Church, none are exempt from this
great obligation. It is required of the apostle as well as
the humblest elder. Place or distinction, or long service
in the Church, in the mission field, the stakes of Zion, or
where or how else it may have been, will not entitle one
to disregard the salvation of one's dead. Some may feel
that if they pay their tithing, attend their regu.Jar meet-
ings and other duties, give of their substance to the poor,
perchance spend one, two or m$re years preaching in the

26 SATArAT10N UNIVERSAL

world, that they are absolved from further duty. But the
greatest and grandest duty of all is to labor for the dead.
\\ e may and -should derail these other things, for which
reward ..will be given, but if we neglect the weightier priv-
ilege and commandment, notwithstanding all other good
works, we shall find ourselves under severe condemna-
tion. And why such condemnation? Because "the great-
est responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us,
is to seek after our dead;"J Because we cannot be saved
without them, "It is necessary that those who have gone
before and those who come after us should have salvation
in common with us, and thus hath God made it obligatory
to man,"A says the Prophet Joseph Smith. From this,
then, we see that while it is necessary to preach the gospel
in the nations of the earth, and to do all other good works
in the Church, yet the greatest commandment given us,
and made obligatory, is the temple work in our own be-
half and in behalf of our dead.

Again the Prophet says :

Baptism for the 'dead is the only way that men can appear
as saviors upon Mount Zion. The proclamation of the first prin-
ciples of the gospel was a means of salvation to man individual-
ly, but men, by actively engaging in rites of salvation substi-
tutionally, become instrumental in bringing multitudes of their
kin into the kingdom of God. * * * This doctrine appears
glorious inasmuch as it exhibits the greatness of divine compas-
sion and benevplence in the extent of the plan of human salva-
tion. This glorious truth is well calculated to enlarge the un-
derstanding, and to sustain the soul under troubles, difficulties,
and distresses. * * * This doctrine presents in a clear light
the wisdom and mercy of God, in preparing and ordinance for the
salvation of the dead, being baptized by proxy, their names re-
corded in heaven, and they judged according to the deeds done
in the body. This doctrine was the burden of the scriptures.
Those Saints who neglected it, in behalf of their deceased rel-
atives, do it at the peril of their own salvation. l

The reason our own salvation stands in jeopardy is
because it is necessary that the parents and children not
only receive the ordinance of baptism, but they must be

-'Joseph Smith in Times and Seasons 6:616.

fclbi'd.

'Times and Seasons 2:545-6.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 27

joined together from generation to generation. It is neces-
sary for us to go into the temples, be baptized, confirmed,
and receive all the ordinances for our dead, just as we- re-
ceive them for ourselves."'

It is sufficient to know that the earth wil Ibe, smitten with
a curse, unless there is a welding link of some kind or other,
betwen the fathers and the children upon some subject or other,
and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead
For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they
without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made
perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it
is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness
of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that
a whole and complete and perfect union and welding together
of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take
place, and be revealed, from the days of Adam even to the pres-
ent tirrie' and not "only this but those things which never have
been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been
kept hid from the wise and prudent shall be revealed unto babes
and sucklings in this dispensation of the fulness of times."

Again, quoting from the prophet:

The Bible says, I will send you Elijah the prophet before
the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he
shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the
earth with a. curse.

Now, the word turn here should be translated bind or seal.
But what is the object of this important mission? or how is it to
be fulfilled? The keys are to be delivered, the spirit of Elijah
is to come, the gospel to be established, the Saints of God to be
gathered, Zion built up, and the Saints to come up as saviors on
Mount Zion.

But how are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? By
building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going
forth and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations,
washings, anointings, ordinations and sealing powers upon their
heads, in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead, and re-
deem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection
and be exalted to thrones of glory with them, and herein is the
chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and
children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah. And
I' would that this temple were now done, that we might go into

'"History of the Church, May 12, 1844.
"Doc. & Cov. 128:18.

28 SALVATION UNIVERSAL

it, and go to work and improve our time, and make use of the
seals while they are en earth.

The Saints have not too much time to save and redeem their
dead, and gather together their living relatives, that they may be
saved also, be-fore the earth wil be smitten, and the consum-
mation decreed falls upon the world.0

These passages emphasize the importance of the
work for the dead, for we cannot be saved without them,
nor can they be saved without us. Our salvation cannot
be accomplished unless the fathers and the children are
joined together, bound, sealed in perfect family order.
Husbands must be united by authority to their wives ;
children to their parents, until there is one grand family
composed of all the faithful from the beginning to the end
of time, with Adam, our progenitor standing in his calling
as the father of us all.

How great is the responsibility of the Latter-day
Saints! No wonder the theme occupied the prophet's
mind so constantly, just before his death, for upon the
Saints devolves the labor of this universal redemption !
Is not this the greatest, most glorious duty in the world?
How terrible would be the consequences should we fail!
The earth would be smiten with a curse, and utterly
wasted. The work of all the dispensations would be lost,
the dead as well as the living would be denied salvation.
Anarchy, confusion, even chaos, would reign supreme:
for this salvation must come by our endeavors, and we
cannot fail. Individuals may fail to do their part, and be
rejected for their failure, but the work of the Lord shall
go on and increase from day to day, until redemption of
the dead shall be accomplished.

If all the righteous blood from the days of Abel to the
days of Zacharias, was required of the Jews in the days
of Christ, because they neglected to do their duty in this
regard, is it unreasonable to suppose that the blood of all
the righteous from the beginning to the present day will
be required of this generation? For our privileges are.
greater than these of the Jews in the meridian of time.
Therefore it behooves each one &f us to rid our garments

"History of the Church. Jan. 20, 1844.

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 29

of the bluotj of this generation by performing aM our
duties required in the gospel.

If this work must be performed for the dead from the
beginning to the end of time, how is it to be done? It is an
exceptional case when a family record can be traced be-
yond the fifteenth century with any degree of accuracy,
and most all of those that can, merely give the name of
the Father and firstborn, son, or the name of the one in-
heriting the estate. In extent of time three or four hun-
dred years is but a moment. What, then, are we to do
for the great multitudes of our kindred who antedate the
fifteenth or sixteenth centuries, whose records were never
kept, and consequently we cannot obtain? Will the Lord
hold us accountable for these dead, and punish us for not
doing their work, when we are powerless to act? Not in
the least. The Lord requires of us that we do all we can,
no more than that. He will assist us if we will try, and
the way will be opened before us, as has been the case in
innumerable instances, so that we can accomplish a' great
deal more than we at first think we can. There is enough
that we can do for the dead, from the records which can
be obtained today, to fill a hundred temples daily, and
then we would not be through, at the rate we are working,
before Christ will come to reign.

We are expected to save as many as we possibly can
with the knowledge we possess, and when the Redeemer
corns to reign on earth, there will be a closer communica-
tion between the mortal and the resurrected Saints who
will work hand in hand in the redemption of the dead.
These who have pased beyond will then be in a position
to furnish to their mortal kin all necessary names for
temple work ; and thus the labor for their salvation will be
facilitated and more accurately done than it possibly can
be done today.

Even now hundreds of thousands of records have
been prepared, the names of many millions of souls have
been published and are accessible to the members of the
Church. Each year new genalogical records are being
prepared in vast numbers more rapidly than we can do
the work. And the Saints with all their diligence, are not
doing all that could be done. Comparatively, we are few

.i<) . SALVATION UNIVERSAL

in numbers, and the capacity of our temples, limited; but
we should increase the work by increasing the number
of workers. When the present temples will not accom-
modate all who desire to attend, the Lord will require that
other temples.be erected.

There are in the Church today (1910) over forty-one
thousand seven hundred men holding the Melchiz-
edek Priesthood, and every faithful elder has ac-
cess to the temples. Suppose that each of the
forty-one thousand seven hundred elders should
go to one of the temples one day each month —
and where they cannot go, they might send and
have the work done for them— -what .would be the result?
The work would be done for five hundred thousand each
year. If an equal number of sisters would do the same,
there would be one million souls endowed every year. If
we spent one day each month in the temples saving our
dead, just twelve days out of the three hundred and sixty-
five of the year, brethren and sisters., would any of us be
doing more than our share? Could we even feel that we
were doing our full duty, when the responsibility given us
•is so great, and "the Saints have not too much time to
save and redeem their dead and gather together their
living relatives, that they may be saved also before the
earth will be smitten, and the consummation decreed falls
upon the world? Suppose we did all this each year, in the
course of a century we would have endowed one hundred
milion souls, which is. about the present population of the
United States, and a very small part of the work for
those whose records we may now obtain. In the library
of the Genealogical Society of Utah — which society was
organized in 1894 as an aid to the Saints who desire to do
temple work— situated in the Church Office Building, Salt
Lake City, we have on file thousands of records, contain-
ing millions of names that have been collected from the
parish registers and other records both in the United
States and Kurope. These are accessible, and many are
obtaining from them the names of their dead and per-
forming in the temples the work that will merit them a
place in the Kingdom of God.

Again, suppose each one of us should fill out one bap-
tismal blank of twenty names, and send it to the temple
cverv month, it would mean that over twenty million, six-

SALVATION UNIVERSAL 31

teen thousand baptisms would be performed each twelve
months. Suppose we sent such a list but twice a year, we
would then baptize three million, three hundred and
thirty-six thousand souls each year. Is this 'more than
wo ought to do? Is it more than we are capable of elding?
It certainly is a great deal more than we are doing; and,
too, there are many individuals who are baptizing more
than twenty every month. If a few can do it, why can not
more? The fact is, this question has not appealed to many
of us, we have been so busy in other pursuits, principally
in the accummulation of wordly goods that we cannot
carry with rs, that we have had no time or inclination to
do the work fur our dead. If one hundredth part" of the
energy expended by the members of the Church in other
ways were directed in the channels of temple work where
it properly belongs, we could accomplish a great deal
mure work than we are now doing for the salvation of the
dead.

But one will say: "1 have done the work for all my
ancestors of whom I have any knowledge. My genealogy
can only be traced to my great grandfather, beyond that
all is dark. How can I be baptized each year for twenty,
forty, sixty, or more of my dead when we haven't their
records?" To such a person I reply : If you have done
the work for all your known dead, and your record can-
not be traced but one or two generations, you still have
the privilege of assisting your neighbor who lacks suf-
ficient help and therefore cannot do the work for all
his dead. Assist him and assist the temples with your
financial as well as your moral support',, and the way
may be opened before you that you can 'obtain more
knowledge of your own dead.

There is one thing of importance, however, we must
keep in mind. Xo person has a right to select names pro-
miscuously of any family, and go to the temple to perform
the work for them. This cannot be tolerated, for it would
lead to confusion and duplication of work. Let each family
do the work for their own dead kindred, as they may have
the right, and if they do work for others, it must be at the
instance and with, the consent of the living relatives who
are immediately concerned. A few individuals have de-
sired to do the work for men of renown, generals, prosi-

SALVATION UNIVERSAL

, magistrates, and others who have risen to prom-
inent itations in the world. One object they apparently
have in view is that they may say they have done the
work for such and such persons. But there is an order in
this work, as in all things pertaining to the gospel, and
in no case should work be done in this manner, unless the
circumstances are such that proper sanction of the temple
authorities can be given.

We are also troubled at times by what are known as
"link-men," individuals in the world who manufacture
names so that they can complete unbroken a family line.
This is done for the purpose of making money, and is, of
course, knavery of the worst kind. Those who are guilty
of this trickery do not understand salvation for the dead,
and may not fully realize the wickedness of such a course.

Latter-day Saints should be accurate in their record-
ing, and not depend entirely on the temple records for a
history of their work. Temple record books are prepared
for the use of the Saints so that each family may keep
their own record of their dead. This should be done that
the record may be handed down from generation to gen-
eration. Remember it is out of the records that the dead
are to be judged. We should be orderly in all things, and
strive to get the spirit of the work, live our religion and
work out our own salvation by assisting in the salvation
of our dead, for we without them cannot be made perfect.

In the words of the prophet, I shall conclude,

Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go for-
ward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the
victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceeding glad. Let
the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth
anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath or-
dained before the world was, that which would enable us to re-
deem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.**

PDoc. & Cov. 128:22,